In search of the
enemies of the state
ANNA CIEŚLEWSKA
Despite a declaration of religious tolerance,
the system developed by President Emomali
Rahmon in Tajikistan can be referred to as
authoritarian secularism. Religion is being pushed
to the margins of public and social life and
replaced by a new artificially created tradition.Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the resulting ideological vacuum,
Islam found new ground in Central Asia. Formerly oppressed religious groups began
to mushroom with the help of Saudi, Turkish and Iranian funds flowing into the
region in support of brothers in faith. Tajikistan, located in the contentious area
adjacent to the Afghan border, is considered one of the most religious countries
in the post-Soviet Central Asia region. It has a Sunni majority adhering to Hanafi
mazhhab and a small minority of Pamiris following the Isma’ili branch of Islam.
Religious leaders have played a very important role here and religious families are
part of the local aristocracy, influencing both the formal power structure and soci-
ety. Apart from the mainstream “clergy” (theologians, imams, mullahs), Tajikistan
has a network of semi-formal spiritual leaders, including Sufi masters, vagrant
mullahs, healers, clairvoyants, as well as female religious leaders (bibi otun/bibi
khalifa) who conduct various religious and spiritual services.
Today, however, religion is being pushed to the margins of the public life. Re-
ligious and spiritual leaders have become enemies of the system, which mirrors
some of the bleakest periods of the Soviet era.